Hi Everyone!
I am so thankful to have found this thread as it explained a lot of what has been happening to me. Its very important to talk to other women and hear their own experiences as dr's don't always tell you about the side-effects. I will give you a brief rundown of my story:
3 years ago, I had the Mirena (hormonal IUD) inserted and had absolutely awful side effects: weight gain, hair loss, increased hair in places you don't want hair! terrible acne and depression, extreme fatigue to the point were I felt I had no life! I removed it and felt incredible pretty much straight away, my energy came back the depression disappeared. I then decided to put the regular copper IUD. I had inserted one about 10 years ago and apart from heavy periods, felt perfect.
This time was an entirely different story! I had it put in 9 months ago and have suffered enormously with it. I have come to the conclusion that I am older and my body cannot handle what it used to. I would start PMS from ovulation! Midway through my cycle I would bloat really badly and start feeling low emotionally, not to mention so so tiered. About a week before my period, I would start spotting and my mood would get worse with really dark thoughts, anxiety, nervousness, restlessness...you name it! When my period finally came, it was sooooo heavy it scared me! uncontrollable bleeding for first 2-3 days, with big clots. Last month, the bleeding was so bad that I got dizzy and shaky and felt like I was gonna pass out. My energy was so low I could hardly get out of bed. I called my gyno who told me to have it removed. I did it the same day. I was so upset because I don't react well to hormonal contraception and this was pretty much my only option.
My experience since I had it removed (about 3 weeks ago) is that my PMS is so much better! Today I feel a little bit groggy but I'm a few days away from my period so its normal. At least it didn't start a few weeks ago as it used to!
I read on this thread that after the first period without IUD, things get better. Curious to see! will keep you all posted. I have been eating really well to replace all the blood loss (lots of meat etc...) and doing tons of meditation to regain my balance. I can honestly say that I do feel a tremendous change after having removed it. I will keep you posted after my period.
Thank you to all the strong ladies on this post!

So glad things are getting better yasmar. Keep us posted on your progress.

QUOTE=yasmar;15787195]Hi Everyone!
I am so thankful to have found this thread as it explained a lot of what has been happening to me. Its very important to talk to other women and hear their own experiences as dr's don't always tell you about the side-effects. I will give you a brief rundown of my story:
3 years ago, I had the Mirena (hormonal IUD) inserted and had absolutely awful side effects: weight gain, hair loss, increased hair in places you don't want hair! terrible acne and depression, extreme fatigue to the point were I felt I had no life! I removed it and felt incredible pretty much straight away, my energy came back the depression disappeared. I then decided to put the regular copper IUD. I had inserted one about 10 years ago and apart from heavy periods, felt perfect.
This time was an entirely different story! I had it put in 9 months ago and have suffered enormously with it. I have come to the conclusion that I am older and my body cannot handle what it used to. I would start PMS from ovulation! Midway through my cycle I would bloat really badly and start feeling low emotionally, not to mention so so tiered. About a week before my period, I would start spotting and my mood would get worse with really dark thoughts, anxiety, nervousness, restlessness...you name it! When my period finally came, it was sooooo heavy it scared me! uncontrollable bleeding for first 2-3 days, with big clots. Last month, the bleeding was so bad that I got dizzy and shaky and felt like I was gonna pass out. My energy was so low I could hardly get out of bed. I called my gyno who told me to have it removed. I did it the same day. I was so upset because I don't react well to hormonal contraception and this was pretty much my only option.
My experience since I had it removed (about 3 weeks ago) is that my PMS is so much better! Today I feel a little bit groggy but I'm a few days away from my period so its normal. At least it didn't start a few weeks ago as it used to!
I read on this thread that after the first period without IUD, things get better. Curious to see! will keep you all posted. I have been eating really well to replace all the blood loss (lots of meat etc...) and doing tons of meditation to regain my balance. I can honestly say that I do feel a tremendous change after having removed it. I will keep you posted after my period.
Thank you to all the strong ladies on this post![/QUOTE]

OMG is all I can say to all that I have read... I know now that I am not crazy nor alone... I have a 19 month old at home.. he is my second child. I had the IUD place in when he was 2 months old. I have anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all (im 28), Terrible weight gain, I am retaining more water then the hoover damn....I literally thought that I was just going plain mad.. I have had blood work apon blood work done, I have seen mulitple doctors that can not explain to me why it is that i have now alomost 80lbs heavier withing a 6 month period. I thought the anxiety was just from the 2nd child as I had a totally different pregnancy as well as birth for this one than my oldest.. I literally have been making myself sick over it all I have been to my primary doc as well as i just had a visit at the OB to see if maybe she could HELP.. I asked about the IUD and was told over and over that there is no side effect at all, she actually is getting my medical records from my primary to review things and see if there is something that maybe they missed to check.... BULL is what is can say I am literally on the verge of loosing my marriage and my kids think that I am crazy.. I have not had the heavy menstrual cycles however I have had irregular cycles as well as it changes like every other week.. I am calling my OB because I have an appt set up to see what she has "found" in my records on 9/16... ON that DATE I will have her remove this god for saken Item from my body and be on the road to recovery and a better way of living and that will be the OLD ALLY

Wow! I am so amazed to have found all this information from real ladies out there who are suffering as I am. Finally, to know I am not alone and going crazy...it's such a relief!!
I have had 4 children and my youngest is now 2...I had the paragard IUD inserted when he was apx 6 mo. old. My periods were noticeably heavier and longer than ever before (although it's hard to recall what periods were like before babies/breastfeeding for the last 7 1/2 yrs)! In addition to the heavier periods I also noticed some slight weight gain. However, none of these symptoms even compares to the terrible skin I have been struggling with for the past 3-5 months. Holy cow!! It has taken me awhile to connect the dots...but I have been doing some sleuthing and discovered I am not the only one to have my skin change so completely. Has anyone here struggled with the onset of acne since having the IUD??? It didn't happen right away...probably 8 mo. or so since I had the IUD inserted. I would have an occasional pimple around my period but now I am absolutely covered with "cystic acne" on the sides of my face. I have seen my OB and a derm but OB says..."women in their 30s just get acne, it's totally normal"...the derm wanted me to take antibiotics...for 2 months!!! No way!! I think I will have the IUD removed and see if that helps. It's the only thing I can figure that's different...maybe I am just having an allergic reaction to the copper??? Need to figure out a new bc method tho...not ready for no. 5 yet!! Please let me know if anyone out there is going through this...THANKS SO MUCH!

Hi there! I have suffered from acne too with the IUD. Mainly around my jaw line. I have never ever had acne growing up but it was a consistent problem with the IUD. Especially before and during my period, my whole face would break out.
My period is a few days late this month (first period since removing my IUD), started spotting today so think its on the way. I guess its difficult to tell when my period would be anyway as with the IUD i would start spotting about a week before my full period. My PMS this month was 90% better, Hardly any water retention, mood normal, no craziness or anxiety! Will fill you all in after my period!

HI again. Updating on my status since removing the IUD:
My period came yesterday. Too early to tell if its any lighter yet. PMS practically disappeared which is wonderful.
I have a question for anyone who had their IUD removed: What were your withdrawal symptoms, if any? I have noticed that I have had very strange foggy eyesite and pressure around my eyes (on and off) since having it removed. My skin has also been itchy and I have insomnia to some degree plus dizziness sometimes. The one that bothers me the most is the eyesight. Could it be my body excreting the excess copper that gives these symptoms? Would appreciate any answers on this!

As promised, I'm updating everyone after my period. I'm half way through and it is so much lighter after removing the coil. I feel great...NORMAL! PMS practically gone too.
I have to say that I did feel the effects of copper 'withdrawal'. I guess its like anything, even coffee! If your body is used to something, when you stop taking it, the process of detoxing is hard on the body. I think that the excess copper was coming out of every pore in my body! My skin was itching on and off all month, headaches, visual disturbances, metal taste in my mouth. I'm hoping that my period now will be washing out all the excess copper from my body. Goes to show how much we absorb without realising it! Just glad o be feeling happy again

I had a copper iud put in a little over a year ago after my second child. I experienced the side effects I was told could happen, worse cramps and heavier bleeding. I am fine with these because my choice for birth control is very limited because I get blood clots and cannot take the pill.

However, I am wondering if anyone has experienced a decrease in thier sex drive becasue of it. I am married to a very wonderful and attractive man, but honestly I could care less about sex. I have been this way ever since I had my last child, which is also when i got the iud. I just assumed it was because I had children and was so busy with them (I have a 2 1/2 year old and one that is almost 1 1/2). I am starting to think it could also have something to do with the iud.

I am a mother of three children. Two sons: R - 03/09/96, W - 27/12/98 and one daughter: M - 15/05/06Weight Loss and Metabolism Mentor

Hey there bettercare. Just wanted to address your question and also update everyone on how my battle is going!! As for the decreased sex drive my answer is most certainly YES! I did experience that and also was having a difficult time with the BIG O. I too am married to a wonderful, sexy man and our love life had always been great. However, apx 6 mo. ago I started having trouble reaching orgasm during sex...don't know if this led to my decreased sex drive or not but I didn't feel as interested as I used to. Thinking I was just "in a slump", I was doing my best to wait it out and get back on track....poor hubbby! He couldn't figure out what he was doing (or not doing) to help me out.
After much research and an Ah-Ha moment I realized that the only thing different in my life was the IUD. I have just recently (2 wks to the day) removed it and what a change for me in so many areas!! I had my 1st period 2 days after removal and it was SOOO normal. Barely any cramps...only 5 days long...and I didn't go though 15 tampons a day!! Woo hoo!!! My desire has also seen a big jump and, drumroll please....we're 4 for 4 on the BIG O!! I'm back! Hubby is almost as excited as I am! My lingering problem seems to be the skin...still waiting on that to clear up but I'm sure it's just a matter of time!
Hang in there bettercare, listen to your body, we are all so different but your intuition will ultimately lead you to do what it right for you. Good luck! Will continue to keep ya posted!!!

Hi everyone, As promised, I am reporting back after my 2nd period without IUD. It is amazing!!!!! I feel like my old self again and feel like i have my life back in every way. Weight has fallen off, skin is better, PMS for 1 day at the most, mood is great, period normal, energy is back...amazing.
I wish all you lovely ladies the best of luck. Different things work for different people, and this was definetly the right choice for me.

It's fascinating for me to see other women experiencing what I thought I was ALONE in experiencing! I've had the Paragard in for just over 5 months now & I'm finally getting it removed tomorrow. At first, I didn't notice any symptoms, not until about 3 months in, then the backache started & it was dull & non-stop. Then the rest of my body joined in- my hips are always extremely sore when I go from sitting to standing or even if I'm walking for awhile. When I first wake up in the morning my ankles are stiff & I have to walk around on them a bit to get them "warmed up". The headaches started about 1 month ago and have remained constant & dull, sometimes getting a bit worse if I'm more tired. The nausea started 2 weeks ago & comes & goes throughout the day. I was worried I was pregnant & have taken a couple tests, all negative.

I have also had about 20 lbs of weight gain since getting the Paragard. I had my son 10 months ago & in the 5 months AFTER his birth, I lost all 35 pounds I'd gained in pregnancy plus some. Now my stomach is getting bigger & I feel sluggish every day. Even with 7-8 hours sleep each night, I still need a nap during the day. Even though my son is full of energy & lively, I know he is not the cause of my exhaustion. I used to feel great, even when I was sleeping at 3-4 hour intervals when my son wasn't sleep-trained.

I was even tested for hypothyroidism because I was showing all the symptoms of it, but everything was normal. My doctor was quick to place the blame on me & my eating/exercise behaviors rather than blame the IUD. So I increased my exercise each week as well as went on a high fiber diet, per his insisting. I have had no change in over a month of doing so, where in the past, I would've lost weight fairly quickly.

I've also experienced the anxiety, but only in small bouts... I get overwhelmed very easily in stores with big crowds & irritable because of it. I never used to be like that, I loved crowds & have always been a fairly calm person. It's been strange to feel so over-emotional & my husband says that I am way more sensitive than in the past.

All that said, it seems the IUD is the variable that I can change & hopefully see some results soon. I'm so hopeful that this could help me feel better!

I'm glad you found your variable! That's the way it was with me too. I sorted through everything and found the IUD as the last culprit.

I'm still trying to get everything to a "new" normal. The effects from the IUD have finally passed, but I'm back to where I was before I got it. I was high copper to begin with, so the IUD just put me over the edge.

An excellent book for anyone that's thinking of the copper IUD, has one and thinks they're having issues, or just feels they may be high copper (post partum depression has a strong link in copper) is "Why am I always so Tired" by Ann Louise Gittleman. It details so much more than I've been able to find online.

One huge smoking gun that I did find was that estrogen mirrors copper levels. Anyone with estrogen dominance will also be high copper. If you're estrogen dominant, you may also be low progesterone, which consequently means low zinc and B6. I learned that about myself when I started charting, yet another holy grail. There's also an article in the Journal of Medical Toxicology called "Serum Copper Elevation from Estrogen Effect, Masquerading as Fungicide Toxicity" (you can google it) where a patient presented with nearly twice the normal level of copper in her body and thought it was due to pesticide, but it turned out it was caused by the estrogen in the birth control pills she was taking. Take out the pill and heightened estrogen and her levels returned to normal.

Heightened copper will block the absorption of zinc. The zinc to copper ratio in the body should be about 8:1 in favor of zinc. Most of our typical diets are deficient in zinc and the ratio is awful. I did the math yesterday for a speech at my club regarding this topic, and basically, my dream dinner layout with appetizer and dessert (iced tea, soybean pods, lobster, salad with mushrooms and sunflower seeds, walnuts covered in dark chocolate) put me at a ratio of 1.2:1. I would be consuming 10mg of copper in one sitting while the upper tolerable limit IS 10mg a day before the liver is impaired. With 12mg of zinc, the ratio is terrible. That ratio is required for a few important enzymes in the body that control energy and thyroid functionality.

I'm still putting together all my information into one solid article, but what I've been finding is astounding. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't recommend the copper IUD to anyone, nor any hormonal birth control containing estrogen. I know some folks do just fine on it, but it won't be in my recommendation pile.

The book by Ann Louise Gittleman lays out a plan to recover from high copper, so I highly recommend checking it out. My local library had it so perhaps yours might too.

I'm just glad you ladies who have been suffering the effects and have been told it's everything BUT the IUD are finding the answers you need! You're not crazy, and it's not your character. It's simply biochemical, and it can be fixed!

I had the copper iud fitted in October 2010, had a little discomfort but bearable. What is most concerning for me has been a deterioration in mental health. I have suffered from anxiety/depression however not to such severity as I am currently. A month after my iud was fitted I was unable to concentrate, felt highly anxious, paranoid about nothin..........just generally an inability to cope in general. I have been unable to work due to this and have had the most terrible 3 months of my life. I came across these threads when googling my symptoms (been searching for all kinds of reasons for why I feel so bad). I have been to the docs more times than I can remember within these last three months, numerous bloods which are fine etc. state just anxiety/depression but I refuse to believe this given the severity and my ability to cope with this before (never been out of work with it and managed to function). I don't know whether it's in my mind regarding the iud being fitted but seem to have deteriorated mentally since. I am booked in to see my gp on weds re getting it removed. has anybody had such debilitating emotional issues relating to this iud?

It's definitely not in your mind! Do a search for copper toxicity and it will be like looking in a mirror. I'm still trying to recover from what it did to me and I had it out this past June! The thing is that it can cause a secondary problem in causing your adrenal glands to malfunction. Basically, too much copper can cause them to become fatigued or exhausted while an exhausted adrenal gland can cause you to retain too much copper (due to the liver not functioning correctly due to malfunctioning adrenals, agh!). You might also want to look up adrenal fatigue/exhaustion, especially at drlam.com. I was starting to recover from the copper toxicity when I put myself over the edge with my adrenals by allowing too much stress to continue in my life and it's basically put me in a state of low blood pressure, low blood sugar, dizziness, and horrible fatigue. You don't want to get to where I am! I can't work either right now. I can barely take care of the toddler and the dishes. It's not pretty.

The adrenals, thyroid, and ovary hormones all work together in a perfect synchronicity. Knock one out of the loop and it could mess up the others. I became estrogen dominant due to copper (the two go hand in hand, when one is high, so is the other) and the copper made my already stress-weakened adrenals much worse, which began to pull down my thyroid.

But it's definitely not in your mind. It's the copper. You may also be deficient in zinc (you can get a zinc taste test from the vitamin shoppe to see how deficient you are) but it won't allow you to keep the IUD, I'm afraid. I tried that myself and all it did was prolong the inevitable. Maybe I would have gotten mine out sooner if I wasn't trying to beat all that copper with the zinc. A person who was probably high copper to begin with cannot tolerate an IUD, I'm finding (if you've ever had bouts of depression, anxiety, easily stressed, overemotional episodes or estrogen dominance, you were probably high copper BEFORE the IUD). I have yet to finish my article on the whole copper/zinc thing, but that's because the problem is so expansive and I've been so messed up! The amount of systems that falter due to a single slip in synchronicity is ballooning larger than I ever realized it would.

I didn't even tell my obgyn about the problems I was having with it because I didn't think she'd believe me. I didn't want to hear "IUD doesn't cause that, just try it a few months more." No thanks. I just told her I couldn't take the side effects anymore. I began to feel much better as I got my zinc status up, but as I said, continuing stress and faltering adrenals knocked me back down. It's important to allow yourself to rest and heal while you're trying to detox copper. Also, a lot of authors recommend a lot of different things to get rid of the copper, especially high doses of different vitamins such as C, manganese, molybdenum, alpha lipoic acid, B6, but my advice would be to NOT take huge doses when starting out. I wanted to get it out of my system as soon as I could but because my body was in a state of disrepair, all that did was stir up the toxins with no way to get them out. I don't kid you when I tell you I had a month-long dull headache because of this. Start with low doses and work your way up slowly, as much as you want to be free of this condition as quickly as possible. It's better to take 15-25mg of zinc spread through the day rather than one 50mg dose in the morning, for example. Zinc is also wonderful for copper or adrenal fatigue-induced insomnia, taken before bed. Honestly, I can't sleep without it, and probably won't until my adrenals heal. Diet is also really important. Reducing carbs and eating a low copper diet (I honestly don't miss dark chocolate anymore or even shellfish, but I did at first! White chocolate is okay though, only very trace amounts of copper.) Foods you do eat should have a good zinc to copper ratio (10:1 is best) in order to keep everything balanced. If you are vegetarian, you'll need zinc supplements. The quality of supplement needs consideration too. Chelated zinc is best, mineral ascorbate C rather than the cheap stuff (unfortunate since I can't work), etc.

Zinc deficiency is common, and I found that when my levels were up, I no longer suffered from social anxiety, regular anxiety, depression, or all the other issues that plagued me most of my life. The only time it becomes a problem is during PMS and ovulation, the two high estrogen times of month and hence high copper, but the symptoms have been significantly reduced since cleaning up my diet and getting zinc sufficient.

You could probably get "Why am I always so tired" by Ann Louise Gittleman from the library. It's all about copper toxicity and it's definitely available on amazon. It has information and a plan to correct the problem. The best is the questionnaire to see how bad your problem is. I scored 12 for 12 before I got the IUD out! Drlwilson.com has a huge article on copper toxicity but not too much on how to correct it (since that's a fee based service.) You're also welcome to PM me with any questions. I'm not a doctor, I'm just going through this mess and learned some hard lessons through trial and error.

Ann Louise put out a women's multivitamin free of copper and is designed to keep copper under control. You can get it from unikeyhealth.com but it is pricey. You can compare the ingredients to lesser-price copper-free multiples out there, but I found this one had the best of what I need and it has definitely helped (especially with the estrogen dominance) though I only take half the suggested dose.

Once my article is finished, I'll post it here. I just need to heal first and foremost. Took over 30 years for me to finally learn to really take care of myself and that I wasn't lazy, crazy, and all sorts of labels all these years. It was simply a mineral imbalance. I hope you find your balance soon too!

Thanks for your response. Well I had the coil removed yesterday after long discussion with my gp who was not keen on removal. Just had to explain to her that I we not happy with it being there anymore, didn't mention copper toxicity etc as sure enough she would definitely think I am mad!! anyway after removal felt relieved and was later calm and relaxed however woke this morning with same anxiety/depression and general hopelessness feeling. now am wondering whether I will ever get better again. I will report any updates and hope to back to my old self sooner rather than later.

For some people it can take a few weeks to a few months to start feeling like "normal". I guess it depends on a lot of factors, especially your health profile and mineral balance BEFORE the IUD (but who really takes that into account until everything goes to heck in a handbasket?) The copper has to clear out of the system, and in order for it to do that, your adrenals must be working well in order to give your liver the right instructions. Since you only had it for three months, hopefully it will clear out soon. A low copper diet is essential, and small doses of minerals like zinc and vitamin C (gradually working up) can be really helpful too. http://wholefoodcatalog.info/nutrient/copper/foods/w/4/ is great to look up the mineral content of foods as is http://nutritiondata.self.com/ . I have quite a chunk of bookmarks and resources so if you need any more help I'd be glad to share! Get well!

Hello! I found your post when I was searching "IUD withdrawl symptoms"...I would appreciate any feedback that you have if you are still a member of these boards! I noticed your post was from a while ago. I had the Paragard IUD inserted after my 2nd son was born in April '10, because I didn't want to go back on the pill - and the IUD actually ended up being cheaper, just a small copay. No pill to remember, I thought it was the best choice for me. Although, the second month, I started having low back pain. I went to a chiropractor for months, it just never went away. My periods were also the heaviest they've been in my life. I went back to my OB to get it removed in October '10 - he told me to stick with it for a few more months, and I listened because he said most of the time the periods start to be lighter, just to give it time. Well, last month, January 2011, I decided enough was enough and I had it removed. I do have Hypothyroidism, and I've been monitored since I was 16 and on medicine, my levels have not changed. And within the first week of IUD removal, I noticed my back pain was gone. However, the second week, I noticed I just felt sore all over. The last two weeks (and this is why I thought your post was so interesting) I have this feeling from my left ear, to my temple, down across my cheek and pain in my left eye. Just this annoying pins and needles type pain, just on the left side and it's bothering my eyesight. I feel very sluggish, and havent felt well and wonder if it's because of copper and having the IUD removed?! I'm headed to the neurologist tomorrow, I did have an appointment this week and they said I have pressure from a retracted eardrum - the pins and needles on the left side of my face is still there. I dont know if Copper can store in the body, and my OB said my symptoms dont match anything he's ever heard of - and that I have some type of neurological issue. Which may be the case, but I saw your post and felt compelled to write. If you have any insight or can relate to this at all, please write me back! Thank you,

Copper definitely stores in the body if the mechanism to clear it out isn't working. Since Copper can screw up the adrenals which signal the liver to produce ceruloplasmin which binds to and excretes excess copper, copper basically becomes its own revolving door. When the copper can't get out of the bloodstream fast enough by being bound and excreted, it first stores in the liver, then the brain (hence neurological and emotional symptoms), then various other organs such as the uterus, joints, lungs, possibly muscles. In people with Wilson's Disease which is a genetic inability to excrete copper, most only seek help and find out about the condition when neurological symptoms develop such as ticks, clumsiness, sometimes Parkinson's-like shaking. The copper in Wilson's Disease definitely stores in and affects the brain, so it's not hard to see that it would do the same in a person without the genetic factor if the ability to excrete the excess becomes impaired.

If memory serves me correctly, since zinc is required for the myelin sheaths of nerves, and an abundance of copper can counteract your zinc, you may be experiencing something that's zinc deficiency related as well as high copper. I know that when I'm not taking enough zinc, my knees hurt like holy heck, and I wake up in the middle of the night strangely itchy followed by the sensation of my nerves racing under my skin. I also wind up with very obvious tinnitus. See what the neurologist says, but it wouldn't hurt to take zinc if you don't already. Start with low doses 2-3 times a day (15-25mg WITHOUT added copper) and work your way up slowly. You can get a zinc status taste test from the vitamin shoppe that can help you determine when you're finally getting enough zinc.

It may also be a variation of a migraine. Migraines are notoriously caused by high copper. Is your soreness joint or muscle related? Joints is a common copper symptom. Muscles may be related to the adrenals. If you have hypothyroidism and have taken the pill or had the copper IUD which would throw estrogen out of whack, you could also be throwing your adrenals out of whack since the thyroid-adrenal-ovarian axis is all tied in. Take a look at drlam.com for more information on that. The sluggishness could very well be due to adrenal fatigue (which copper toxity can very well cause as well as be a result of.) For more on copper toxicity, check out drlwilson.com and Ann Louise Gittleman's book "Why am I always so tired". Note that typical medical doctors do not acknowledge copper toxicity except in extreme cases such as poisoning or Wilson's Disease and also do not recognize adrenal fatigue except for extreme cases such as Addison's Disease or Cushing's Syndrome. But since you're hypothyroid, definitely check out Drlam.com for that whole scene and I highly recommend searching Copper Toxicity for anyone who's ever had an IUD or even has been on the pill!

I've been researching copper toxicity for weeks now trying to come to a decision whether my IUD is responsible for the progressive destruction of my mind and body or whether it's the stress of life with two kids under the age of 2. My gut tells me that it’s the foreign matter in my uterus that is driving me insane. The doubt, however, comes from the seemingly sound and clear message from the medical community which is: “the IUD is a safe and practical bc method," "you are over-stressed", "get some help at home (and/or get some anti-depressants) and you'll feel better"

I had the IUD inserted 3 months after my youngest son was born. A few months later, I thought that I was suffering from postpartum depression because I was so moody and tired all the time. But the symptoms persisted and now almost a year after my son was born, I still feel the same. Anxiety, resltessness, explosiveness, lack of mental clarity, forgetfulness, just to name a few. I can't tolerate cold temperatures (anything under 74 degrees is freezing to me), I am frequently sick (at least one cold every 5 weeks), I have occasional heart palpitations, dizzy spells.

When I spoke with my family doctor about my symptoms, she shocked me by suggesting that I should try anti-depressant therapy. She never once considered that the symptoms could be related to anything other brain chemistry alone. My bloodwork a few months after giving birth was perfect so she never suspected, I suppose, that a few months later, after the IUD was inserted, I could be suffering from anemia, post partum hypothyrodism, copper toxicity, estrogen dominance, hormonal imabalnce, etc. It's laughable how little initiative some doctors have, but at the same time, how disconcerting that these individuals in many cases make the most important decisions in people's lives. Needless to say, masking the real problem with anti-depressants, is not the “cure” for me. So, after much evidence suggesting that copper toxicity (and all the other imbalances precipitated by it), not to mention all that blood loss every month which in itself cannot be that good for anybody, and because I decided to start trusting my own gut in this matter, I’m planning to remove my IUD which I’ve had for approx. 9 months now. After all, I have to start with the most obvious suspect….the IUD.

Thank you Jlanda for your posts. Honestly, you are the person who gave me that last bit of confidence I needed to take charge.

I too had several of these sympoms, heart palpitations, anxiety, heavy periods, dizziness, etc. I had always had heavy periods, but when I got the IUD in March of 2010, (because my body does not respond well to hormonal bc at all, I had tried the ring, shot, pills etc.) and they lasted 12-14 days! I went to see an endocrinologist to have my thyroid checked, as I had always had "borderline" tsh and t4 levels. She discovered that I was severely anemic, which is a listed side affect of the paraguard. With each passing month my levels barely went up since my periods were so heavy, I could not keep up with my iron and red blood cell count, and I just felt worse and worse, even with treatment for the anemia. She had me see my gyno and we took out my paraguard and he had me try a new form of bc pill, beyaz. Although I have had several problems with bc pills before, this one seemed to work! I didn't have the side affects that I had normally had with other pills. He told me that this pill has some of the lowest possible hormones and after two months of being on the beyaz, my anemia levels have gone up, my thyroid levels are getting better (anemia and thyroid levels are directly related) and my periods have gone from 12 days to 3 days!! I am feeling better with each passing day! I don't know if it was the copper that was upsetting my body or just the anemia, but either way, I am so glad that I am finally getting it all straightened out. Hope this helps! And I strongly suggest to any of you who are having these problems, to have your ferratin levels checked and to at least try Beyaz. I was apprehensive at first, but so glad I did. Good luck to all of you.

I have all of these sypmtoms. Unfortunately it took me 1 1/2 years to figure it out. 3 days after the removal I woke up and my heart was not pounding out of my chest. I lived with anxiety and panic attacks starting 3 months after I had it put in. It has now been 8 months and although I feel a million times better, I still, on occation have the symptoms for a week or so.

Any suggestions on doctoring? I've done a liver clense and take Vitamin C and Zinc.

A HUGE thank you to jlanda for all of the research and valuable information you've posted. I had my copper IUD out 6 days ago, and spend all week feeling extremely depressed, with bouts of chronic fatigue (I had the IUD 8 months, and spent the entire time battling with anxiety, depresion, fatigue, and put on 10 pounds inspite of exercising every day and eating my usual very clean diet of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts (no grains what-so-ever, and no processed foods)). I"m hoping the weight will start to come off, and the bloat will eventually go, but right now my body feels like it's going through some copper toxicity symptoms now the IUD has been taken out. I'm starting to take zinc, B6 and vitamin C, but want to get this copper out of my body asap (thanks again jlanda for the links you provided).

My period started on Monday. I had my copper IUD inserted on Tuesday at 9.00. I have never given birth, and it hurt a lot - I was swearing my head off to the gynecologist, whereafter she wondered if I hadn't taken the ibuprofen before coming there. No, I hadn't, nobody had told me to. I hadn't eaten breakfast either, and due to the pain and whatnot I nearly fainted on the table. They gave me ibuprofen 600 x 3 to be taken during the day and told that the pain would be gone until tomorrow. I never learned which brand IUD they actually inserted or was told anything about the side effects - maybe the details will be in the bill they send me. Anyway, all in all it took 1,5 hours and a cookie before I was outside again. Mind you, the cookie was mine, too.

After inserting the IUD my period went totally bloodless.

On Wednesday around 15.00 I started feeling heavy pain in my abdomen, cramps in my legs and stomach, I got irritated and couldn't concentrate on work. I skipped dinner, so I thought probably I was just being tired and with the weather being so bad it was, maybe that affected my mood. When I got home I started to google about the copper IUD and started crying when my SO signed off the chat - I was very pissed that he didn't stay online to hold my virtual hand. I had all in all three crying spells that night, mainly because on what I read on this forum - it was so scary. (Usually I'm very calm and logical, and I couldn't understand how comes I got this HUGE PMS going on with absolutely no blood in sight.) I was drinking loads of water and couldn't really pee because of the intense pain when urinating. In the end I figured that if I lean backwards on the toilet seat and stop before I'm actually done it doesn't hurt that much. It's the end part that hurts, it feels like I'm trying to pee knitting needles. The IUD thread is somewhere so deep in I can barely touch it, but I think I can feel it.

I went back Thursday at 12.00 and complained about not being able to urinate, and they said that it's probably because of the threads are too long and pressend themselves against something. Then I told them that I've been more or less crying and I can't concentrate and that I suspect copper being the culprit. They told me to wait a week or two for the cramps to subside and let my body to get adjusted to the IUD. I had been on hormone capsel thingy earlier, and they explained how I hadn't been ovulating for 10 years, my ovaries have been asleep and now they've waken up, so some pain for the adjustment can follow. They showed me the threads they had cut off and explained how it'd be better now. I asked how exactly the bodu would adjust to the excess copper without me getting depressed, but got no answer. Anyway, the IUD was apparently so neatly in my uterus and it had been so difficult to get it there that they didn't want to take it off. At least not right now. They also explained to me that as I live with a male there'd be the question of birth control, too, and an IUD is perfect for that. After ten-fifteen minutes of crying and explaining and generally throwing tantrums they at last agreed to do it.

The pain that I felt at removal was nothing compared to the insertion. Just a quick pinch. Of course this time I had prepared myself with 2x ibuprofen 400 mg.

Of course they billed me for the check-up, too. It was about about 200 for the insertion, 60 for the IUD and 150 for the removal. Needless to say I refused to pay for the removal. They'll get back to me about this later on.

To be totally honest I don't really understand why the doctors and nurses are so adamant about me having some form of birth control device. I am 36 years, I have good education, good work and I live in a stable relationship with my fiancé. No children. Still not one of them has even mentioned the possibility to have a baby. They're just worrying about my reproduction being controlled as tightly as possible. Maybe they're trying to be sensitive about the parenting issue, but I can't help feeling there's something weird going on.

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I want to thank everyone on this board, because I could've been persuaded by the doctor to let that IUD stay if I hadn't read your stories. Had I read this before inserting the damn thing in the first place I would have saved the money, too..

Edit: It was no thread pressing my parts, it was clear, old fashioned urinary tract infection. I couldn't sleep the next night so I went to the workplace doctor, and she said the quick test results were as clear they just could be. Also, I found this study from 2005 saying that use of an IUD is a risk factor for urinary tract infection and should be considered, especially in women with recurrent urinary tract infections.

I had my Paragard (Copper) IUD placed in November 2010, three months post partum. My periods have definitely gotten longer and heavier since I started getting them in February 2011. My most recent pap smear came back as "positive endometrial cells", so now I have to go back to the MD for a sonogram of my uterus this Tuesday. Odds are that it is the result of a trace amount of blood on my cervix because of the on and off staining I have been experiencing with the IUD. I am leaning to having it removed this Tuesday. I really liked the whole concept of the hormone free IUD, but sadly, I don't think it is working out for me. It would be great to give it another month or two, but the hassle of the very heavy periods and now the abnormal pap is getting to be a bit much, time consuming and an expense. I am disappointed.

Jennifer, first time Mom, working full time, married to Paul. Katherine "Kate" Mary Lou was born 8.10.10.

I'm in my late 20's and have never had a child. I got the copper IUD yesterday, and today I have the WORST abdominal pain ever. its all over my abdomen but mainly lower. I also feel hot and tired. I'm worried about the Pelvic infection, I wanted to see if anyone has experienced soon after it was put in. I had a bit of bleeding (very little) after insertion but otherwise it was ok.

My experience in the last 3 years with the Paragard has been fairly good. I tried Depo, which landed me in 30 Day Period Land with zero libido. Then I tried the pill and the patches, but even on those my periods were incredibly long (I had perfectly timed 5 day flows before Depo). I quit all BC for awhile and then got the IUD and that is when things started looking up. Well, except for insertion, which left me in a miserable crampy surprise evacuation of bowels kind of state for about 3 days. After that, and coupled with the Diva Cup, my periods went down to a long week with no cramping.

I do get impatient and anxious and frustrated, but I am a student so I don't know if that is entirely abnormal :) I get heart pit-pats and thumping headaches that have been worse lately, but I've been low in iron for a long time and I think over-salted and over-stressed. Vitamins help, eating less salt and more iron helps. I should drink more water and less alcohol, but hey, it is graduate school. I don't know anything about the Copper, but I was worried about the Nickel core of the Copper wire. I get rashes from Nickel contact, but it hasn't been a problem yet with the IUD. Well, except to be honest, it doesn't get much chance to prevent pregnancy KWIM?

Sometimes our bodies just can't stand having unnatural objects inside. I'm glad you sourced out the cause for your symptoms.

i got my iud dec of 2008 i was 19. i have always been happy and bubbly. i have recently been noticing my anxiety and not feeling like doing anything. i dont want to have sex or do anything what so ever. i got the iud removed this month july of 2011 and the next day i felt this burst of happyness outta no where. i am feeling less and less anxiety, and i honestly do believe i was having the problems bc of the iud

Hi, I hope this is helpful to someone else cause these posts were helpful to me. I have a nine month old, and got my copper iud when she was four months. About a month after my symptoms were mild and increasingly got worse. I thought it was just stress and anxiety cause we were moving. I ended up with really bad anxiety and had a panic attack 3 months after my iud. I was never at any time thinking it was the iud. I kept getting more symptoms. Stress, anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, heart palpitations at times, extreme brain fog, my vision was funny kind of bouncy at times. It was a general feeling like I was becoming mentally and physically disoriented. Sometimes I felt confusion and couldn't focus. I ended up at the doctor, my thyroid was fine and my metabolism fine, so I figured losing my mind right. I had another panic attack and ended up in the ER. They told me my blood work was fine. And told me I needed therapy or something. So all these symptoms started getting worse and I got panic going to the store or driving or being around lots of people. I had all these symptoms get to the point of ended up in the ER again. Mind you this whole time Ihad that gut feeling like, I know I am not crazy, I have never been this way, this is not me. I know there is something going on here. They even did an MRI and nothing. This morning for some reason I decided to google side effects of copper iud, and it had all my symptoms. Now I have gotten to the point of fatigue and weak at times which could be the adrenal gland problem now. But I know how they take out the iud, they just pull gently with some big tweezer looking things, so I took out mine myself cause I didn't want to wait. Now I have a great diet and I don't know if the copper will leave my system fast or slow but I can't wait to see if these symptoms go away. I say don't let them tell you your depressed or have bad anxiety if you know thats not you and if you have a copper iud. Try taking it out before they start giving you zoloft or something. It didn't bother me to take it out and it didn't hurt. I figure we all seem to know more than doctors these days. They don't seem to think outside the box about the symptoms your telling them. If anyone wants to know I will post about a week from now to see what my symptoms are by then.